QuestionI was rear ended in the first part of Feb. I have been dealing with my insu since the party responsible did not have any insu. So far I have been able to handle things without much confusion on what to do. But have run across some issues.
I have med pay and UM. Is there something I can do if I am at my med pay limit and have to have anymore PT? Also any suggestions this other dr has I will need a way to pay. So can my UM not take that over and set something up? Or am I really at the mercy of waiting for them to settle with me before I can receive any further assistance with my medical bills? I understand if I have medical bills that exceeds my med pay limit that comes from my UM but does that mean it only comes from my UM when they settle? If so how long do they have to do this? I haven't heard anything from them on a settlement which hasn't bothered me till the thought of figuring out how to pay for these bills that I am about to incur soon. That is not guessing I will have bills, I know I will have since I am not done with treatment. So do they only settle when you are done going to dr? If they are waiting for me to get back to pre accident existence before settling. That could possibly mean me not getting treatment due to the fact I can't afford it.
AnswerHi Charlie,
I'm sorry to hear of your predicament. Uninsured Motorists coverage is designed to pay you a fair settlement for your pain and suffering, not to exceed your policy limit, when the at fault party is uninsured.
A fair settlement amount can not be determined until you have recovered from your injuries.
There are many factors involved in determining a 'fair' settlement, among which are your medical bills, lost wages, the extent of your injury and if there will be any long lasting or permanent affect on your abilities or lifestyle and pain and suffering. If you discontinue medical treatment, this will severely limit the value of your claim. No medical bills = no money.
Since you have exhausted your medical payment coverage, there are several sources that may be of help.
If you carry health insurance, you can continue treating and have the bills sent to your health insurance company.
If you don't have health insurance, you may be able to explain your situation to your health care providers and have them keep treating you and file a lien with your insurance company against your future settlement.
A few auto insurance companies really do care about you as a person and will be willing to give you incremental 'advance' payments against your future settlement in order to pay ongoing medical and physical therapy treatment. You need to discuss this with your company if none of the other options that I mentioned are available.
The time frame in which to settle your claim varies between states.
If the accident happened in Tennessee, Kentucky or Louisiana the time limit is one year from the date of the accident. Twenty-Three other states allow two years and the remainder offer between three to 6 years.
I hope you found this information to be of help.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area
